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KINGSMILL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY JTBCMay 15, 2014Austin ErnstWILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA Q.  How did that compare to the 62 round in Safeway last year? Kind of have that same feeling out there at times? AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, I mean, it was just solid really. You know, it could have probably been a couple lower. Really only time I even made a bogey or was is trouble of making a bogey was when I missed the fairway. Missed I think three fairways. Really just solid. Gave myself a lot of looks, hit a lot of greens, and made it really easy on myself out there on a day when it was pretty windy and it could kind of get away from you a little bit. Q. 3 is downwind, is that how you made eagle? AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, 3 is downwind. Driver and then i had 182 yards to the hole; hit 6‑iron there to about 10 feet. Q. First or second eagle this year? AUSTIN ERNST: Second. May need to check that. Q. Think 6 will hold at the top of the leaderboard? AUSTIN ERNST: I don't know. I mean, if you're driving the ball well out here, the pins, they made the pins where you can get to them today. We'll just kind of see. But I've done what I wanted to do: put myself in position for the rest of the week. Can't really complain about 6‑under. Q. Do you guys keep in mind the fact that tomorrow may be a complete washout and the scope of the tournament may change? Does that make today more important? Is that in the back of your mind at all? AUSTIN ERNST: No. You just kind of handle tomorrow. Whatever happens. We'll just kind of see. I'm kind of glad I'm in the afternoon tomorrow. That way I don't have to kind of hang out. If it does get delayed, you're waiting on the update every 30 minutes. It'll be nice to relax, go practice a little bit. Q. (Recording interruption.) AUSTIN ERNST: I wasn't hitting the ball as well as I am now. Wasn't rolling it well. You know, I'm a lot different player this year coming into this one. Even though the results haven't been great this year, it's been really close. Basically just driving the ball and putting. I've just kind of left myself in some bad positions off the tee and haven't made a lot of putts. Today I made it very easy and gave myself a lot of looks to where I had a few short putts, hit the ball a lot better. Yeah, a lot different than last year. Q. Was 7 a two‑putt birdie or did you just chip it close? AUSTIN ERNST: No, it was ‑‑ drove it right off the tee and just had to layup, then hit a 54‑degree up there to about three feet. Q. Okay. I saw you one‑putt 8 and I though you made another one. Apparently not. Were you in trouble off the tee? AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, I got myself in trouble off that tee. I just pushed it a little bit and the wind kind of got it and hit it in the bunker on the right, which had nothing. Just kind of had to pitch it back in the fairway. Then 8‑iron up there and made a nice putt; 25‑footer there. Q. Still have LSU on the bag. Old school loyalties die hard, huh? AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah. Q. Talk a little bit about winning the NCAA Championship as a freshman and what that did for your confidence. And the way you won, with an ace, right? I don't know what round it was. AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, final round. That gave me a lot of confidence. I played well up until then. I had won a tournament earlier in the spring. Yeah, that just kind of jump started everything I think. Obviously that opened a lot of doors, and then I played later on that summer at the Women's Am. Any time you play a tournament that big ‑‑ that's one of the biggest tournaments you play in as an amateur ‑‑ any time you kind of go win it the way I did, you know, I played the well the last day, it gives you confidence. That jump started this thought to turn pro a little bit early. Yeah, confidence‑wise, you can always look back on that. You were playing against some of the best players, best amateurs in the world. Some of them are out here. So you just draw back on any experience where you play well and end up winning a tournament. Q. So the game plan wasn't to turn pro after two years when you went to college? AUSTIN ERNST: Not originally, but those doors open. I had a very good amateur career to where ‑ obviously enough to turned pro. Luckily I got to come out here early and luckily I played well (indiscernible) jump right back on the LPGA. Q. Do you feel like you play well when you're at or near the lead? Will you be comfortable in the next couple days seeing your name up there? AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, I mean, I had a couple experiences last year where I kind of got to do that. You know, out here, just the more you can get yourself in that position. You want to get yourself in the lead or near the lead every week if you can ‑ especially on the weekend ‑ just to feel those nerves again. You're playing to win. So I never play not to win. But, yeah, there'll be nerves for sure. But it's only Thursday. Can't get too caught up in it tomorrow, playing on Friday. Same plan all week. Just give yourself ‑‑basically the game plan is to hit the fairway and give myself a lot of looks on the green. I hit a ton of greens today. If I can hit that many greens again, I'll be in a good position for the rest of week. Q. What did you have, T6 and T9 last year; is that right? AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah. Q. Were those the events where you found yourself after two or three rounds near the... AUSTIN ERNST: Yeah, I think Manulife is where I was finished (indiscernible.) Then I was kind of up there after the first two days and stayed in that position for Saturday and Sunday. Then obviously when I shot 62 in Portland last year in the Safeway. That third round. I wasn't really in the lead or near the lead until that last round. Any time you can feel the Sunday nerves, it's always a good thing. Q. A lot of doglegs out there. Were you able to hit a lot of drivers? AUSTIN ERNST: I hit a lot of drivers out here. I only one 3‑wood on 8 today. Just kind of‑‑ you know, sometimes you have to cut a corner here and there. Any time you can get a wedge in your hand out here, that's important so you can be a little bit more aggressive. Q. Par‑5s are pretty accessible in two? AUSTIN ERNST: Today they definitely were. I think 15 was into the wind. One of the players in my group actually got it on the green there. I didn't hit a very good drive there, but then 3 is downwind so you can get up there. And 7, if you hit a good drive you can get on it, too. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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